Along Adams Ave., at the end of the bridge above Texas Street, I spotted some huge birds in the trees below. The vantage point presented another opportunity to see how good (or bad) Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could be shooting distant objects.
Unlike the S23 Ultra, which packs 10x optical lens, the newer model relies on 5x optical and in-camera close-cropping 50-megapixels to produce something that is supposed to be as good as, or better than, the last-generation smartphone. You judge.
The Bat Cave! Hiding in plain sight. Who would have guessed? I should have believed the angry TikTokers whining about the Dark Knight fleeing crime-infested Gotham for San Diego. What good is capturing criminals when the DA won’t prosecute and they return to the streets in mere minutes? No wonder he headed West.
Problem: Catch-and-release policies are rampant across California. Prosecution deferrals are increasingly commonplace. Can the Caped Crusader save us? Please!
What an unfortunate day for me to run an errand out to Ocean Beach. Congestion and traffic marked the afternoon. Wonderful weather—sunny and 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit)—was one reason. Kite Festival was another—and what a crowd! Then there was the Pro-Palestinian protest along Sunset Cliffs Blvd to the corner of West Point Loma.
While waiting in traffic on I-8, something odd piqued my curiosity. Where there was nothing but greenery along the highway, a mound rose covered in pink and white flowers. Why there and nowhere else? I wondered. The mound’s shape and size made me think grave—and the flowers, too. Dare I suggest fertilizer?
Take a good, long look at the Featured Image. This apartment building epitomizes how dramatically have rentals risen in San Diego over scant number of years. Something seems wrong here—and I mean more broadly. This place merely reflects a trend in explosive increases that feels funny—fixed, unnatural—for a typically dynamic capitalist market.
I’ll illustrate. In June 2021, a 1,000-square-foot flat listed for $1,495 monthly and presumably rented, since the listing was removed eight days later. Available now for $2,325, in the same building: 530-sq-foot studio. Oh, and Zillow estimates that if the larger unit was marketed today, the landlord should charge $3,063.
Crunched-time schedule means no post for the previous two days. We resume with another fine feline—the one-hundred-thirty-first found behind door or window. Sighting street is withheld; sorry `bout that.
I used Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to capture the Featured Image, on May 11, 2024. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 40, 1/120 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 3:51 p.m. PDT. Nickname: Vim.
Memory of my maternal grandmother: Grapefruit for breakfast, regardless of season—and I wonder where she bought the citrus during Northern Maine winters. I never had a taste for the bitter, over-sized oranges but my wife does.
So we were delighted to find some, set out by a neighbor, yesterday. She is caretaker of Rick, one of the “Cats of University Heights“. Annie grabbed two, while I waited and thanked our benefactor. How sweet: She put out bags for people to carry their fruit.
The one-hundred-thirtieth feline found behind door or window is typical: Name unknown, so I must create one. But my creative choosing has limits, so, please, forgive my stretching to reach this one.
Surely you are familiar with roasting a sugary s’more around the campfire: Chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow. The cat’s colors are perfect for the confection. Don’t you agree?
We return to Mission Beach for a final time, from my April 29, 2024 quickie visit. Subject of the Featured Image is the person working the sand with a metal detector, as two other folks stop their walk to watch.
Once again, I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to make the moment. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/1900 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 10:39 a.m. PDT. In post-production, I started to lighten up the dark areas, but instead decided to leave the photo as shot. Moody is better, and everyone is considerable distance away.
We aren’t yet done with Mission Beach, which is about a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) drive from my apartment. San Diego has no shortage of coastal jaunts, and I admit to taking them for granted more than taking advantage of them.
The Featured Image is a dumb, fun shot. I don’t know why the sand toys were on that wall. They didn’t appear to belong to anyone, but a nearby shop had more outside. Purpose: Unknown.
While hanging out at Mission Beach, yesterday, I spied a formation of approaching birds—seagulls, perhaps? I turned Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra skyward and captured the Featured Image.
This one is composed as shot. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 50, 1/4000 sec, 70mm (film equivalent); 10:38 a.m. PDT. Odd, why would I choose only 3x zoom?
I don’t know what to make of these two. Do you? After dropping off contact lenses to our daughter in Ocean Beach, my wife and I drove over to Mission Beach, where there is a boardwalk shop selling $10 hoodies. Eighty-percent cotton, baby!
While waiting for Annie, I turned my attention to the distant shoreline and people along the surf: Strangest of all are subjects of the Featured Image. Golden Storm Troopers? I don’t recall seeing any of them in any Star Wars film.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is among the best computers that I have owned. One compelling feature/benefit: Construction. The Magnesium and Aluminum case is super sturdy—and today our cat Neko put it to the test. Unfortunately.
I plugged in to charge during a time in the afternoon when sunlight blankets the desk in my office. To reduce heat, I covered the Laptop Studio, an action that should have been recognized as an invitation to the cat; warm spot on a rectangular shape.